מְעַט

H4592. meat
מְעַט101 substantive a little, fewness, a few; — ׳מ absolute and construct, מְעָ֑ט Isa 10:7 +, plural מְעַטִּים Psa 109:8; Ecc 5:1; —
1. a. Gen 30:30 לְפָנַי לך היה אשׁר מעט the little that thou hadst, Gen 47:9 חיי שׁני ימי היו ורעים מעט few and evil, Lev 25:52; Num 26:54 (compare Num 33:54) נחלתו תמעיט וְלַמְעַט and to the small (few) thou shalt make small his inheritance, Num 33:56; Num 35:8 תמעיטו ַהמְעַט וּמֵאֵת, Deu 7:7 העמים מכלֿ ַהמְעַט אתם וכי ye are the fewest out of all peoples, 1Sa 14:6 בִמְעָ֑ט אוֺ בְּרַב לְהוֺשִׁיעַ, Jer 42:2 מֵהַרְבֵּה מְעַט נִשְׁאַרְנוּ כִּי we are left as few out of many, Eze 5:3 בְּמִסְמָּר מְעַט מִשָּׁם וְלָקַחְתָּ, Hag 1:6 מְעָ֑ט וְהָבֵא הַרְבֵּה זְרַעְתֶּם (compare Hag 1:9), Psa 8:6 מאלהים מעט ותחסּרהו, Psa 37:16 לַצַּדִּיק מְעַט טוֺב (compare Pro 15:16; Pro 16:8), 2Ch 29:34 לִמְעָ֑ט הָיוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים רַק; as predicate Num 13:18 אִםרָֿ֑ב הוּא הַמְעַט, Jos 7:3 הֵמָּה מְעַט כִּי, Job 10:20; Rth 2:7; Neh 7:4; Isa 16:14 מִזְעָר מְעַט וּשְׁאָר. — Hos 8:10 מְעַט וַיָּחֵלּוּ and they begin as littleness ( = to be minished) because of, &c.; but read probably (ᵐ5) מִמְּשֹׁחַ מְעַט וְיֶחְדְּלוּ and they shall cease for a little (
d) from anointing, etc.
b. as substantive with following Genitive, Gen 18:4 מַיִם מְעַט a little of water, Gen 24:17, Gen 24:43, אֹכֶל מְעַט Gen 43:2; Gen 44:25; 1Sa 14:43; 1Sa 17:28 הָהֵ֫נָּה הַצּאֹן מְעַט literally the fewness of those sheep, Pro 6:10 +; as Genitive to a previous substantive, מְעָ֑ט מְתֵי men of fewness Deu 26:5; Deu 28:62; in apposition, Isa 10:7 מְעָ֑ט לֹא גּוֺיִם לְהַכְרִית, Ezr 9:8 מְעַט מִחְיָה, Neh 2:12 עִמִּי מְעַט וַאֲנָשִׁים, Ecc 9:4; either Genitive or appositive, Ecc 10:1; Dan 11:34 מְעָ֑ט עֵזֶר יֵעָֽזְרוּ with a help of smallness.
c. twice declined as an adjective , Psa 109:8 מְעַטִּים יָמָיו יִהְיוּ, Ecc 5:1 מְעַטִּים דבריך יהיו עלכֿן.
d. as adverb. accusative, of place, 2Sa 16:1 מְעַט עֹבֵר וְדָוִד; of time, Job 10:20 b; of degree, 2Ki 10:18 מְעָ֑ט אֶתהַֿבַּעַל עָבַד אַחְאָב, Eze 11:16 and have been to them for a sanctuary but little, Zec 1:15; repeated מְעַט מְעַט by little, by little = gradually, Exo 23:30; Deu 7:22.
e. phrases: — a. with the interr. הֲ, Gen 30:15 וְלָקַחַת אִישִׁי אֶתֿ קַחְתֵּךְ ַהמְעַט was thy taking my husband (too) little? and (wilt thou be) for taking also my son's love-apples? Num 16:9-10 כְּהֻנָּה גַּם וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם ֗֗֗ הִבְדִּיל כִּי מִכֶּם ַהמְעַט is it too little for you that J. hath separated, etc., ... and do ye seek, etc.? Num 16:13 הִשְׂתָּרֵר גַּם תִשְׂתָּרֵר כִּי ֗֗֗ הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ כִּי ַהמְעַט, Jos 22:17f. וגו תָּשׁוּבוּ וְאַתֶּם ֗֗֗ לָנוּ ׳ַהמְעַט, Isa 7:13 וגו תַּלְאוּ כִּי אֲנָשִׁים הַלְאוֺת מִכֶּם ׳ַהמְעַט is wearying men too little for you, that you will weary also my God? Eze 34:18 (as Ew Co AV RV), Job 15:11 אֵל תַּנְחוּמוֺת מִמְּךָ ַהמְעַט. But Eze 16:20 (si vera lectio) was it (too) little because of thy whoredom? (was that insufficient for thee? Kö iii. 406 m). b. וְ מְעַט ׳עוֺד, Exo 17:4 וּסְקָלֻנִי מְעַט עוֺד yet a little, and they will stone me, Jer 51:33; Hos 1:4; Psa 37:10; וְ מִזְעָר מְעַט ׳עוֺד Isa 10:25; Isa 29:17; compare Hag 2:6; Job 24:24.
2 כִּמְעַט like a little: hence
a. within a little, almost (compare ὀλίγου), Gen 26:10 ֗֗֗ שָׁכַב כִּמְעַט almost had lain ..., Psa 73:2 Qr, Psa 94:17; Psa 119:87; Pro 5:14 (all followed by perfect); Eze 16:47 מֵהֶן וַתַּשְׁחִתִי קָט כִּמְעַט like a little, and thou hadst done more corruptly than they; Son 3:4 מֵהֶם שֶׁעָבַרְתִּי כִּמְעַט = hardly had I passed.
b. with imperfect, just, 2Sa 19:37 עבדך יעבר כמעט just would thy servant pass over; lightly, easily, quickly (compare δἰ ὀλίγου), Psa 2:12 אַמּוֺ כִּמְעַט יִבְעַר כִּי, Psa 81:15; Job 32:22.
c. = shortly, 2Ch 12:7.
d. = little worth, Pro 10:20 רשׁעים ולב כמעט. e. pleonastic for מְעַט, Isa 1:9 (accents) שָׂרִיר כִּמְעָ֑ט a little remnant, Psa 105:12 (= 1Ch 16:19) בָּהּ וְגָרִים כִּמְעַט; רֶגַע כִּמְעַט like the littleness of a moment = for a little moment, Isa 26:20; Ezr 9:8.